By Jeffery Martin
Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Conservative radio host and recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Rush Limbaugh told the audience of his syndicated show Wednesday that former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg had little chance of winning the Democratic presidential nomination because "America is still not ready to elect a gay guy."
Buttigieg, who married his husband Chasten in June 2018, has emerged as a front runner in the Democratic race for the White House. With 24.4 percent of the vote, Buttigieg obtained second place in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, losing to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders by less than 4,000 votes.
In the hotly contested Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg was declared the winner over Sanders by one-tenth of a percentage point, obtaining 26.2 percent of the votes.
Read More
CNN’s Brian Stelter Criticizes ‘Lefties Who Hate Rush’ Limbaugh Over ‘Revolting’ Cancer Diagnosis Comments3 min read
Lt. Col Vindman Gets Standing Ovation at Dem Debate After Biden Says He Should Have Gotten Medal of Freedom Instead of Limbaugh3 min read
Trump Awards Rush Limbaugh Medal of Freedom During SOTU, Prompting Moans From Dems, Standing Ovation4 min read
Limbaugh was speaking about who could defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, calling Sanders "a dyed-in-the-wool socialist who's not even a Democrat."
Limbaugh then described what he believed the "grand poobahs in the Democratic Party" were thinking.
"Then they're sitting there and they're looking at Mayor Pete, a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend, loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage," Limbaugh said. "And they're saying, 'Okay. How's that going to look, a 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man, Donald Trump? What's gonna happen there?'"
"They gotta be looking at that," Limbaugh added. "They've gotta be saying that despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness and despite all the great ground that's been covered, America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president. They have to be saying this, don't they?"
Newsweek reached out to Buttigieg's campaign for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
...
Limbaugh's reference to Trump as "Mr. Man" quickly became a trending topic on social media as the radio personality was criticized for his homophobic remarks.
"We have no choice but to admit that Trump, his voters and supporters have the emotional maturity of 12 year old boys," tweeted @ladyjld. "That's the only way such 'humor' could appeal to them. Vote adults back into power in 2020!"
"I'm assuming Rush Limbaugh is unaware that 'Mr. Man' is the name of a popular website devoted to cataloguing male nudity in film that has a primarily gay male userbase," tweeted singer/songwriter Dani Song.
"What an intolerable ass Limbaugh is," tweeted former Republican presidential candidate Joe Walsh.
"During this trying primary season," wrote @jaimeleah2, "I'm glad the left can at least unite and defend @PeteButtigieg's right to kiss his cute husband in public. #MrMan"
Limbaugh has spoken negatively about gay marriage in the past, saying in 2015 that the practice was to blame for a decline in church membership.
"Many of these churches now perform homosexual marriage," Limbaugh said. "They ordain gay pastors or ministers and, in some cases, female and lesbian pastors and ministers, which you might think would cause some people to leave those churches."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines